Axiom Home Page Forums General Discussion Home Theater ? regarding analog and digital playback using CD's

There seems to be alot of confusion over which way to play your music through a DVD player. I will be hooking up a New Sony 5 disk DVD changer to my home theater system with Axiom speakers and a HK 525 receiver. Does the CD quality sound better if it is output in analog to the receiver, or is it better digitally?(I will be using a coaxial digital cable) The DAC converter of the Sony Dvd player is 192/24.
How do you tell the DAC of the Receiver, I can't seem to find it on any of the specs?

Thanks

The HK 525 uses Cirrus Logic 192/24 DAC's. YOu can get that info at harmanaudio.com.

As far as the best to use, I would hook it up both ways with good quality cables. You can toggle between the analog and digital input selection modes on the receiver (I am sure you can do that witht the 525) and see which sounds better. Also keep in mind that If you plan to use the extra to amp channels to power music in a second zone, that will most likely only output an anaalog signal, so you would want to have your analog connection from the CD to receiver.

My guess is that the DAC's in the 525 would be superior to the Sony CD changer

I just noticed that you said DVD not CD changer. You definately want to use the coaxial digital or else you won't get DD 5.1 unless you hook up 5 analog cables to your 5.1 "ext. in" on the 525.

I would still simultaneuosly use the front L-R analaog audio outs on the DVD player into the 525 if you want to poweer a second zone for DVD/CD audio.

Are you sure the 525 doesn't convert digital to analog before it sends to the multiroom? I mean, it converts it before it sends to the tape outs...

I am not sure.

I have a Denon 3803 and it does not allow digital music to be played in Zone 2. I believe the reason would be that the DAC's cannot process 2 different digital signals at the same time. For example you want to listen to a movie in DD 5.1 in the main room - that occupies the DAC's, so you wouldn't be able to listen to a different digital signal through a cd player (for example)in Zone 2. Another source would need to do the DAC. I think thats why they are designed that way. I am not 100% sure with the 525 though.

Let me know if that works for you, i would be interested to know

Aha! OK. I understand now. I'll have to try it some year (when I get a working amp in my other room...)

You don need another amp.

All you need is another set of speakers in another room. That's the great thing about having a 7 channel receiver, you use the 2 unused amp channels to power the second zone (unless you have a 7.1 surround configuration) Your 525 will act as the pre amp and power amp for zone 2.

The only trick is getting the additional speakers inconspicuously wired to the second zone from the 525.

Well, with the 525, you can either use another amp, another set of speakers, or A/BUS. There are many options... In any case, ain't happening right now. :-)

to clarify, I will be using a digital coaxil cable for the 5.1 surround, however I have read that the better way to play Cd's is through the regular analog cables.
Another question.
If I playback Dvd and cd's, through the coaxil digital cable, are they getting converted twice, once by the Sony Dvd player and then again through the receiver?

1. Doubt it. I see no reason why the DVD player's DAC would be better than the reciever's DAC for CDs and vice versa for DVDs. You have to watch what you read. There is a lot of crap floating around out there...
2. No. It goes straight from the (digital) DVD out the digital jack, into the receiver's digital jack, where it is converted to analog.